So Slowly
by MidnightStarr
Summary: It was so chaotic. And it all happened so damn fast. Well, it was fast to her.


Leah hadn't wanted to go to the dinner party... Not really.

But she'd been made to, as usual.

The pack didn't know _how_ they got past their patrols.

There were screams all around, screams of the ones they loved most... Emily, Rachel, Billy, Sue, Kim and Claire and even Renesmee on the rare occasion that she'd decided to visit. Maybe it was her vampiric scent, mixed with the blood of her originally-human mother that had lured them in.

Like was said; The pack didn't know.

But there wasn't time to think about it until after, either. They had to act so fast. The picnic table went up in a flurry as Jared phased into his woodsy-colored beast, reacting to the smell, the incredible wailing and the most pungent, unwithstandable taste on the air he'd thought it to be at the time.

Sugar; Bleach. Way too much sugar, and too much bleach and as always, it burnt their nostrils as so many of their worst enemies burst onto the once-content family dinner. Emily's carefully placed paper cups and paper plates and napkins scoured the lawn, the prepared, delicious dinner gone forgotten and cold on the wooden planks and scattered on the grass as the bloodsuckers saw a _different _kind of delectable.

They smelt it; Human, though mixed with dog, it didn't matter... It was there, strong in the unguarded yard where so many people sat and ate and laughed in merriment.

When the travelling coven of sixteen vampires made their presence known, very few thoughts were traded amongst the wolves as they immediately felt their bones shatter; Their muscles reknit and they became the monsters that were needed to protect their loved ones.

Rachel had tried to make a run for the house, but she'd been cut off. No human could outdo the speed of a vampire, and as Billy screamed in his wheelchair (such easy game himself) Jake and Paul knew to phase into action. Red fur and grey fur assaulted the leeches, ripping limb from body and head from shoulders but... There were so many.

Seth was looking back and forth, back and forth... Making sure his mother was safe in the arms of Chief Swan (not that the kind officer's gun was to make any difference), and trying to figure out who to attack first. The humans of their family were hanging around as if they wanted to watch the wolves fight and that wasn't any help at all... Just more people to protect. They should've just _run. _The packmind was so... Rustled, rushed and confused and shocked and it was filled with the tender apologies of Collin and Brady as they fought against two equally-twin vampire siblings. Seems as though the younger wolves had ditched out on patrol, Emily's turkey dinner too delicious to ignore when you had the stomach of a werewolf. But that was alright, that had been okay; Sam and Jacob gave them permission.

The boundaries had been quiet; Silent as the stars for weeks, for months... _God, _why now...?

Jake's red coat seemed to envelope his much smaller father, his teeth bared as Billy Black stared around with wonderous, terrified eyes.

"Good Christ..." The man's hand tight over his heart, "Don't let them hurt anyone my son...!"

Emily screamed bloody murder, a high-pitched wail that tugged at Sam's heartstrings even in the merth of battle and she clambered with Kim, grabbed Rachel and tiny Claire to try and protect her from harm, back her out of the reach of the savage vampires that wanted to see the humans choke on their own blood. Sam raced headlong into battle, like the brilliant warrior he was, the Alpha; The leader with Jacob, the grand protector. He dove into a flailing pile of vampires and his skill and strength was proudly pronounced... For awhile.

Embry too had been shocked into terrified whispers in the packmind.

'_Fuck... Guys, they... Can't let them... Hurt anybody...!' _Thoughts interspersed with his wheezing breaths- what? When had he taken a wound to the chest...? No one knew, he couldn't remember because his dark eyes focused on one vampire and he got attacked by another.

He couldn't even feel the pain.

Claire was crying... The salty scent of her tears detectable to only her imprint as he snarled and barked and tore apart what he could, trying to block the brigade of death from reaching his Clairebear, his future, his life. No one could die that day.

It was not an option.

Paws slipped on the torn, muddy lawn now... Trying to keep step with the graceful leaps and bounds of their enemies. Leah kept wondering as she watched her white paws move and dash, left to right, right to left to dodge attacks and make her own, why the imprints, her mother and Charlie just didn't... Why didn't they just _run...?_

Not that she had alot of time to think about it... No one did. Renesmee kept yelling for Jacob, Billy, Charlie and Sue grouped together now behind the red Alpha to protect the small child, protect themselves as if Jake was larger than life.

Emily kept staring around her, struggling to keep on her feet as she paled and wondered just where her heaven had gone...? Her friends, her family, happy, eating and together... Now it had come to this.

Those monsters in the dark, the boogiemen of their world that crept closer like the shadows overtaking the bright orange of the day. She had prayed not to lose anything more than the large turkey she'd paid for, overpriced at the grocery store. The crying humans were such a distraction to the wolves as they fought, unused to having their families on the battlefield and unable to concentrate at the task on hand. The downfall.

Paul had obliterated three in his savage rage against the vampires that dared come near his Rachel, and briefly, dared keep him from Emily's mouth-watering apple pie dessert.  
>Embry'd gotten his head in the game after taking yet another jarring blow and took one out.<br>Brady and Collin, with enough bruises to rival the WWE had extincted their enemy twins.  
>Jared managed two as well after hearing Kim scream a close call one too many times.<br>Quil had only gotten one; He'd phased back, rushing about, getting matches for the fire they'd needed.  
>Jake destroyed the two who'd been stupid enough to come at his family.<br>Sam had gotten the only two left abroad.

The putrid, all-abhorring smell of burnt sugar and spilled bleach was almost too much in the yard and Quil was quick to light the large pire, igniting the flames so his pack could be quick to toss in the discarded parts of their foes.

Sam looked around, chest heaving, blood darkening his ebony fur.

_'How many?'_

_'There were sixteen, I counted right away.'_ Jared too eyed the small expanse of the yard now... Littered with remains and trash and the once-upon-a-good-time they'd been having.

_'Sixteen...'_ Sam turned on his haunches, sniffed the air, trying to count in his head. He'd been too blindsided to be perfectly accurate, he wasn't sure how many his pack had taken out, if it'd been enough or whether some had gotten away. _'Sixteen... Did we get them?'_

_'We had to, I don't see anymore..'_ Embry muttered, shaking some blood off his snout.

But then a twig snapped off to the side. Most of the wolves' heads turned on an instant. Most...

_'There_!' Sam howled in rage, one left, there was one left... One more, kill. Destroy, protect. He charged at the undead, and Paul, Jared, Collin, Brady, Jake and Embry followed his lead into the fray, their dark, evil eyes intented on ending the creature with it's own blood-red gaze leering at them, sick smile, sick grin adorning it's face.

Leah'd turned to bring up the rear, she was the fastest, so... The easiest kill would be her's if he evaded the rest of the pack, made a beeline for the humans who'd been too damn stupid to run while they had the chance, get out of the scene.

But sometimes things didn't work out... Wolfpack telepathy be damned.

Suddenly Quil had yelled, dropped the box of matches and the startled, ear-bursting screams of the imprints shattered the resolve of the pack. Leah turned as fast as she could, she saw the advancing leeches, their sneers, thirsty fangs and she jumped the two because, what else could she do...? They were headed for the girls.

Rachel, Kim, Claire, Nessie... Emily... They could not die, for her brothers would die with them and it would be her fault.

"IT'S NOT OVER!"

Sam ground himself to a hault... He heard all the sounds too quickly, Quil running, phasing... Emily screaming, saying Leah's name... The vampire only feet in front of him laughing, "You fell for our trick! You fell for our trick!"... He heard the snap of the upturned picnic table, Leah's pain-filled, loud, agonizing whimper as one vampire got his arms around her; The other seized the broken, sharp splinter of wood from the table and drove the stake home.

'LEAH!' Seth howled in the packmind, abandoning the vampire still left with his brothers at the front and turning on his heels, scarring the lawn as he ate up the ground to get to her.

Jared wanted to turn, to run and see if she was alright but he was still facing the vampire who'd distracted them. Not enough time, not enough wolves, too much family... Not enough luck.

'IS SHE ALRIGHT?' Jacob's large head was turning from side to side faster than he could've thought possible. He too was weighed down by the overbearing instinct to kill, destroy, protect... Obliterate the enemy who stood before him who laughed and sneered with such pleasure at his packsister's pain. Jake winced, then... No. He howled.

Leah's pain ricocheted through the packmind like a wave upon the shore, bringing vibration after vibration of unbearable agony that her brothers had to fight through to see straight, to react, to defend. The blistering effect was so sharp, so pronounced... It overrode all other injuries any of them had sustained. Even as Seth tackled the two bloodsuckers who had harmed his sister and got his ear ripped partways off he did not feel it; No one did. Sounds had become dim static to the main action of the situation, Emily screaming, scrambling backward as the vampires still fought against Seth's last ditch-effort teeth to gain access to their real targets; The imprints. Sue was yowling, spitting like a cat as she watched her daughter's strength wane with every passing second...

They were almost as inhuman as her daughter's whimpers as Leah was forced to phase back.

Seth fought, more angrily then he had from the beginning. His sister, his light, his protector when he was a child was... Was... He refused to finish the thought as he tore through cold hard muscle, cartilage and bone until his enemies were in pieces.

Then the young boy phased back... Turning, even though he was afraid of the gory, heartbreaking scene he knew he'd see.

...But upon that turning, he found himself not pleased; But a little surprised.

The wooden weapon had already been pulled from his sister's stomach, replaced with a heavy hot hand. Sam held her in his arms, staring at her with eyes too wide, too white to even look like Sam's usual calm, stoic self.

"Leah! Look at me, TALK TO ME!"

Emily was still on the ground, scarred face twisted moreso into a mask of horror as she watched her fiance try and shake her cousin awake. The cousin who had leapt in front of them, defended them from harm.

Leah still loved her, she knew she did... Leah wouldn't of done that for just anyone.

Swallowing her regret, she turned her brown eyes up into the face of her lover.

...She had never seen Sam like this, before.

"Leah! Leah PLEASE! Look at me, OPEN YOUR EYES!"

Sam didn't hear the rest of the frantic footfalls as his brothers joined him, kneeling on the ground as he held Leah to his chest.

"Oh my god, we gotta get help..." Jacob looked around, spying only the human beings who like never before screamed such _uselessness_ at him as they did now. "Somebody CALL CARLISLE!" The vampire doctor would be their only hope... Leah's only hope.

She was bleeding for every breath she managed to drag into her lungs, and those blue eyes stayed shut.

"Leah... Please Leah, jesus..." Sam's voice was cracking, shaking and stuttering. He could feel it...

Hear it...

It was getting quiet.

So, so slowly.

_Sam closed his eyes, hummed his relaxation. Leah giggled and the vibrations of it radiated down his spine, making him smile. She laid atop his back, now tracing circles with her finger on his smooth flesh. "You give the best massages..." "And you're so comfy, and warm. I could go to sleep." "Then go to sleep." And go to sleep she did. He laid still, still smiling, still listening. Her quiet breaths evened out until her heartbeat was but a soft, sparse beat. It put him to sleep not long after. But slowly. So slowly._

Nessie had pulled the cell phone from her little jacket pocket. Fuck only spoiled brats had cell phones at the advanced age of 'technically five'. If the call had done some good, maybe Jacob would've thanked his lucky stars, loved Renesmee just that little bit more...

But it didn't.

Carlisle was in surgery.

"Sam, Sam is she okay?" Emily had reached out hands to touch Leah, cup her cousin's face. She'd hated Leah many times, but had never wanted to see her-

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Emily fell backwards onto the lawn, eyes wider than before. Sam didn't yell, Sam didn't scream. Never.

Never at _her._

And he didn't even meet her eyes as she scrambled away from him, getting grass stains on the jeans Aunt Sue had given her because Leah couldn't fit into them anymore.

Sam's eyes were back on Leah, still shaking her, holding her close. The smell of blood, coppery, pungent... It had overthrown the aroma of sugar and bleach not slowly but so damn quickly in the small yard. He just needed to see her eyes.

Her blood was gushing, torrents between his fingers where he tried to hold the flesh of her belly together. Tried to push at the wound, keep the blood inside her body where it belonged to keep his LeeLee warm but it just kept coming... So fast.

_He stroked his hand over her flat belly, pictured the day where it would be full and heavy with his children. He pressed his face to the tanned skin, and Sam delighted as her hand moved through his hair. She could feel the smile he pressed into her stomach. Leah's heartbeat was a rapid flutter above him, nervous with his touch, happy with his presence. "We'll have kids someday." "We will... You really want to be a father." "I do. Not yet... But, I do." A better father than his old man ever was... A better father with a lot of beautiful children who looked like their mother with maybe just his eyes or his nose or something. His last name, would be enough. "I wanna graduate first." "So do I... Wedding on the beach." "Wedding?" "Wedding." Her stomach shook with her laugh. "You're always so close. You'll hear my babies before I know I'm having them." "I hope I will. One heartbeat is nice... But maybe it gets lonely."_

"Please Leah, jesus just... TALK TO ME...!"

Her eyes blearily blinked open.

His heart stopped.

"...LeeLee...? Leah!"

Leah couldn't really pick out the blurred faces around her. She couldn't recognize anyone outside of voices... Outside of the face, right in front of her own. The cold hand on her burning belly. Sam.

Her mouth opened, blood trickled down the side of her jaw and Sam sobbed. "No... Leah..."

He seemed so scared. What happened...? The smell was all vampiric; Bleach and sugar, fast on the wind. But there was an undercurrent of... Of turkey, maybe? Gravy... Grass and family. Emily's... Why was she at Emily's?

Oh.

Right.

"...Saw 'em..." She swallowed; Fuck, the taste in her mouth was disgusting. "Saw 'em... Goin' for Emily..."

Sam leant in closer, eyes growing immeasurably wider as he listened to her voice. Listened to her words. Her spirit. "What...?"

"Could'n... Couldn't... Let her die."

Sam looked down quickly; Leah's hand clutched at the skin of his chest, his abdomen, looking for something to hold onto; To cling to. Just for awhile. Until.

He took her hand, squeezed it and it made a squelching sound from how bloody they were.

"...If Emily died... You'd die."

Leah was the one bleeding but Sam was the one crying. His heart broke, kneeling there on the grass amidst blood, crystal and pack and he'd never felt a pain like that before. Not like that... His heart hammered; The one cry drew from him every regret and sorrow that he'd ever wanted to express, to Leah, to anyone and he didn't want it to occur to him that it was too late. Even though, ironically, it already had.

Sam's arms tightened around his first love. His true love... The love that hadn't been at first sight. But had grown, fostered a love for the future, an everlasting _need _that imprinting wouldn't let him quench. Leah... God, she was everything.

"No...! Please Leah... I can't BEG ANYMORE...!" Her eyes fluttered again as he screamed. Leah could hear the voices around them... Sam couldn't. Not Seth's frantic crying, Sue's screaming, the intense, bitter, catastrophic quiet and tears of his packmates or Emily's solemn, lonely silence.

It was getting dark, so slowly.

The blackness was eating away at her vision, the burning in Leah's belly had turned to ice water now and it was licking at her chest, up to her breasts and neck and she gulped past more blockage in her throat. She wished she could see her brother, her mother, instead of just Sam but... They knew.

He did too, in a sence... A very literal sense.

But now seemed like the perfect time to remind him.

She put her lips by his jaw; He inhaled the breath of the one woman who always took his away and she spoke.

"I love you."

And just like that, Leah was gone.

It was slow; And hard. But for Sam it went by so fast.

"LEAH! LEAH NO! LEELEE...!" He shook her; He sobbed, he screamed, he cried... He saw her lids fall shut but now he couldn't envision anything but the lights leaving her eyes. Her heart... No sound. Nothing. Dead.

Seth punched the ground, closer to his sister's body and cried out his anger, his depression. Sue had long ago fallen to her knees leaving Charlie to follow her down, crying and screaming, "My baby...!"

Emily stared, and stared. Then she got up, and walked away.

Sam could never love her after this. Not like before. Never. Kicking the goddamn turkey as she strode, Emily could never remember a moment where she'd hated her cousin more, as poignantly, as she did then. For every reason.

"I love you...!" Sam had to be pulled away from her body; Kicking and screaming, and cursing, and sobbing. Jacob suffered a broken jaw from a punch. But he didn't retaliate... He let Sam return once, and only once to stroke his LeeLee's long hair back, kiss her soft lips one last time.

Then they dragged him away;... The taste of his ex-lover's blood on his tongue.

_"You will." "I won't." "You will, LeeLee. I know you will." She crossed her arms, scratched at her elbow and shifted her eyes away from her lover. "Sam... That should be... Just for you. That place is only for you, I don't know if I'd be-" "I want you there Leah... It would mean everything to me... I know my mother would appreciate the company." He smiled at her... Visting his mother's grave didn't seem so melancholy if he had Leah there. A hand to hold, lips to kiss and someone else to discuss with his Mom. He was sure she'd want it to be like this... Him and the girl he loved. Hell, it was why she gave him her ring. "But Sam-" "You'll go Leah." "...I won't..." "You will." He grinned at her. "I know you will, for me you always do." Slow at first, slow to give in... Slow to arrive. But when he knelt down the next day, placed his hand on the stone there she was... Walking towards him from the edge of the cemetary._

Leah hadn't wanted to go to the dinner party... Not really.

But she did. Slowly, at first... Always so slowly.

* * *

><p><strong>MS: <strong>...Thoughts? I've had this one floating around in my head for awhile now... It's kinda beautiful and sad, yah know? I think this is just a oneshot; I'm not sure. Considering doing some follow-up chapters maybe, a look at Sam over time but they'd be far ahead in the future. I always pictured that if Leah was to die young, she would still be heartbroken; But she'd die right. Please review guys; Let me know whatcha think.


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